| Show 00 OO tf S I. I II i 0 h on LJ It J iW lU LI w y S S. S VAN DiNE AUTHOR f THE rug D BENSON ott MURDER MURDER CASE i THE STORY THUS FAR The jewel case In the apartment I of the murdered Margaret Odell had been opened with a steeL chisel after a futile battering with a poker This leads Vance to the theory that Skeel did not commit the murder even though his prints finger-prints were clothes found but was sync hidden in the closet while the girl was strangled by some one else lse Vance traces a picture to Alys Aly La Fosse Posse whose in informs informs in- in forms him that Louis Mannix was in her apartment from thirty ten-thirty of the evening o of the murder until two in the morning Vance also I learns something that makes males him question Cleav Cleavers Cleaver's rs r's alibi I CH CHAPTER PTER What about the summons for speeding speeding- 1 Markham m asked Th tt's for far yo you to explain said ld I Vance But it If you'll take my advice advIce advice ad ad- vice you'll youn send send to this Boonton catchpole and let him have havo a look at Pop If he says Cleaver is the theman theman I man he lie ticketed Ill I'll humbly do away with myself Well That makes It worth try try- ing Ill Ill I'll have the officer at the Stuyvesant Club this afternoon and Ill I'll point out Cleaver to him What other staggering revelations have yo you in store Mannix will bear looking Into Markham put down his knife and fork and leaned back Im overcome overcome- Such Himalayan sagacity I With that evidence against him he should be arrested I at once Vance my dear old friend are you feeling quite norma norma nor- nor ma mat maNo No dizzy spells lately No shooting shooting- pains in the head Knee- Knee jerks all right Furthermore Doctor LindquIst was wildly infatuated with the Canary Canar and Insanely jealous Recently Recently Recently Re Re- threatened t to take a pistol and hold a little pogrom of or his I own better Markham sat I sat up Where did you get this Information in information information In- In formation Ah That's my secret Markham was annoyed I. I Why so mysterious Needs must old chap Gave Cave my I word l and ah aU that sort of ot thing I And Im I'm a bit quixotic dont don't y know too know too much Cervantes In my youth He spoke lightly but Markham knew him too well to push the question I I In less than five minutes after we had returned to the district at att attorneys attorney's at- at t torney's office Heath came InI In I r 1 got something else on Mannix Mannix Man Man- nix sir thought you might want to add it to the report I r turned In yesterday Burke secured a picture picture pic pie ture turo of him and showed it to the I phone operators at Oell's house Both of em recognized it Hes He's been there several times but It wasn't the Canary ho he called on It was the woman In Apartment 2 She's named Frisbee and used to be i one of ot Mannix's fur models Hes He's I been t to th see her several times dur dur- durI I ing Ing- the past six months and has taken her out oit once or twice buthe buthe but buthe he hasn't called fled on her for a month or more Any good Cant Can t tell telI Markham 1 hot shot Vance an inquisitive look But thanks for the Information Sergeant Sergeant Ser Set geant By the bye said Vance dulcetly dulcet dulcet- ly when Heath had left us us Im Tin feeling No pains in the head no dizzy spells Jerks Knee perfect Delighted Still I r cant can't charge a man with murder because he calls callson on his fur model Youre so hasty Why Thy should you charge him with ith murder Vance rose and yawned Come Van Id I'd rather like hike to gaze on tomb at the Metropolitan this afternoon Could you bear beaI It At the door he paused I say Markham what about the Boonton bailiff Markham rang for Ill see to It at once Drop in at the club around five if you feel like it Ill I'll have the officer there then as Cleaver Is sure to come in before dinner When Vance and I 1 returned to the club late that afternoon Markham Markham Markham Mark- Mark ham was stationed in the lounge- lounge room facing facing- the main door of the rotunda and beside him sat a tall set heavy set bronzed man of about forty alert but ill at ease Traffic Officer Phipps from Boonton a little while ago said Markham by way of Introduction tion Cleaver Is expected at any moment now He has an appointment appointment appoint appoint- ment here at half past five Vance drew up a chair I r do hope hes he's a a. beg beg- gar So do I returned Markham viciously Less than ten minutes minute later Cleaver Clearer entered the rotunda from the street paused at the desk and ands s sauntered Into the lounge roOm There was no no- escaping the observation observation point Markham had chosen and as he walked by us h he paused and exchanged greetings Markham Mark- Mark Markham Markham ham detained him a moment with witha I a few casual questions and Cleaver Cleav Cleav- er passed on That the man you ticketed officer of of- O fleer asked Markham turning to I Phipps P Phipps was scrawling prep ex- ex edly It Ii looks something ng like him sir theres there's a kind of resemblance But it aint him He shook his head No sir Jt it aint him The fellow I r lung a summons on was stouter than thap this gent and wasn't as tall Y Youre oUie positive Yes sir sir sir-no no mistake The gu guy I tagged tried to argue with nith me and then he tried to slip me a flyer fiver to forget it I had my headlight he headlight head head- dlight d- d light on him full fuli Phipps was dismissed with a a. substantial fee Vance sighed My worthless existence existence existence ex ex- ex- ex is to be prolonged Sad But you must try to bear it I r say Markh Markham m. m what does does' Pop rap Cleavers Cleaver's brother look like it nodded Markham l Ive Ivo met his brother hes he's shorter and stouter This thing thing- Is getting getting getting get get- ting beyond b ond me I think Ill I'll have haveIt It out with Cleaver now He started to rise rise but Vance forced him back Into his seat Dont Don be impetuous Cultivate patience Cea Cleavers Cleaver's ers er's not going to do doa doa a bunk and there thero are axe one or two steps stron strongly h Indicated ed cd Mannix and Lindquist still se seduce seduce se- se educe e- e duce curiosity Markham clung to tp his point Neither either Mannix nor Lindquist is here now and Cleaver is And AndI Andr I r want to know why he be lied to me Toe about that summons summons I 1 can tell you yon that said VanceH Vance H lie wanted l you ou to think die tue WA WM in i the wilds of New Jersey at midnight midnight midnight mid mid- night Monday Monday Simple Simple what The inference Is a credit to your our intelligence But I hope you dont don't seriously think that Cleaver Is guilty Its It's possible he knows something but I certainly cannot picture him as a str strangler And why Hes not the type Its It's Inconceivable Incon Incon- even ven even If fr there were evidence evIdence evidence evi evI- dence against him Ah AhI The psychological Judgement judgement judgement Judge judge- ment You eliminate Cleaver because be be- be because because cause you dont don't think his nature harmonizes harmonizes' with the situation Isay r I sa say doesn't that come perilously near nent being an esoteric hypothesis hypothesIs- deduction or or a a. metaphysical However I dont don't entirely agree with you In your application of the theory to Cleaver That gambler has potentialities ties for evil But with the theory Itself I am wholly In accord And behold my dear deal Markham you yourself apply psychology In its abecedarian Implications yet ridicule ridicule ridicule ridi ridi- cule my application of It In its higher developments Consistency may be the hobgoblin of little minds y know but Its It's n ne the lesa lesi a priceless jewel How about a a. cup of Ot tea We sought the Palm Room and sat down at a table near the en en- en trance Vance ordered oolong tea but Markham and I r took black coffee A very capable piece four-piece orchestra was playing and we sat restfully in comfortable chairs without without without with with- out speaking Markham was tired and dispirited and Vance was busy with ith the problem that had absorbed him continuously since Tuesday morning Never before had I 1 seen him so preoccupied We had bad been bean there perhaps half an hour when stroll strolled d din in m. m He stopped d and spoke and Markham larkham asked him hirr to join us He too appeared depressed and his eyes showed signs of t worry I hardly dare ask you Mr l Markham Markham Mark- Mark ham he said diffidently after he had had- ordered a ginger ale but how do my chances stand now of being called as a witness That fate i is certainly no nearer than when I 1 last saw you ou Markham Mark Mark- ham him replied In fact nothing has happened to change tho the situation materially And the man you had hard under nader suspicion Hes still under suspicion but no arrest has been made Were We're hoping hoping- however that that something something will break before long And I r suppose you still want me to remain in the city If It du u can n arrange it it yes was silent for a time then he said I dont don't want to appear to shirk any responsibility and and perhaps it may seem wholly selfish for me ev even n to it It but but In any event wouldn't the testimony of the telephone operator as the hour of Miss Odell's return and her calls for help Ibe he sufficient to establish the facts without my corroboration tion I r have thought of that of course and if it It Is lii at all aU possible to prepare prepare prepare pre pre- pare the case for or the prosecution Without summoning you to appear I assure you ou it will be done At the moment I can see no necessity of your our bein as a III witness But one never knows what may turn up If It the defense hinges on ona ona ona a question of ot exact time and the operators operator's testimony Is questioned or disqualified for any reason you may be required to come forward Otherwise not sipped his ginger ale A A. little of ot his depression seemed to have departed Youre ver very generous Mr 11 Mark Mark- ham I wish v.-Ish there was some adequate adequate adequate ade ade- quate way of thanking thanking- you He looked up I presume presume presume pre pre- sume you ou are still sUll opposed to my ray visiting the apartment I know you think me unreasonable and perhaps sentimental but the girt gin represented something In my life lite that I r find very difficult to tear out I dont don't expect you to understand understand under under- stand and it it-I it I hardly understand it myself TO BE CONTINUED |
